Random Access

Tuesday – 25 January 2011
We’re almost a full month into the new year, but my fingers still want to type “2010.”

Today is my sister-in-law, Chelsea’s, birthday:

It’s snowing again. It’s not a heavy snowfall, but it is constant.  The snow doesn’t appear to have affected drivers in this part of the valley too much… but we’ll see how it goes as the morning progresses.
UPDATE: It’s gotten a little worse:

With that in mind, the Council for Better Driving: Utah would like to remind drivers to exercise caution when traveling today.

Last night, SaraRules! was kind enough to pick up the engine, tender and boxcar that I was having repaired at The Train Shoppe:

The locomotive now goes like the proverbial “bat out of Hell” — I hitched it up to a nine car consist and opened the throttle… and off it went. With the quickness. I am happy. I am also happy because I now have three (3) fully-functional locomotives.

SaraRules! fixed a very tasty recipe of stuffed peppers for dinner. As we ate, we cleared another couple of episodes of NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles off the DVR. Then, it was time to catch up with a few coworkers for CoD: Black Ops online. It was fun; I even tacked three more levels onto my character. After the group broke up, I tried to play a little more DC Universe Online. Once again, it locked up on me. (I’m going to be Level 30 before I ever get out of the introduction, at this pace…) I have a support ticket logged with Sony. In the past 12 hours, I’ve had two responses on it – one was a request for more information; one was a possible solution to the problem. I’m going to test it out this evening.

Chew on This: Food for Thought
This morning, Marvel’s latest event, “Fantastic Four: 3,” kicked off.

In this event, a member of the Fantastic Four dies. There’s been great speculation as to which character it would/could be. Comics news sites announced, as early as last night, that some mass media sources were spoiling the news of which member died.

*sigh*

It was bound to happen, I know… but I still held out a glimmer of hope that I would be able to make it until tomorrow – when I pick up my books – without hearing who the doomed person was.

Nope.

This morning, on the drive in, an announcer on a local radio station just blurted it out. There was no “Hey, if you’re a fan of the FF, you might want to turn the volume down for a minute” warning or anything.  Just “BAM!”

Monkeys.

Ear Candy
I heard this on the way to work this morning…

…which, for some reason, made me think of this:

Stray Toasters

• I finally got to introduce Kristen to iChat’s video chat option last night. It was nice to not only talk with her, but to see her, as well. I also gave her a “walking tour” of the house.
• The Sartorialist
• Bethany Sew and Sew: Character Aprons
• Chopin ‘probably had epilepsy’
• Test find high levels of lead in reusable bags
• Updated version of yesterday’s comic:



• Documents Open a Door on Mideast Peace Talks
• Jan. 25, 1921: The Robot Cometh
  • All Hail Our Robot Overlords! Sci-Fi’s Best Bots
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Flier goes ‘berserk’ over blocked lav, punches attendant
• 2011: A security manager’s wish list
• Unusual Wave of Violence Strikes Police Officers

And with that… on to the rest of the day!

Namaste.

Sunday – 23 January 2011
It’s a quiet, but sunny (and cold) Sunday morning.
I haven’t looked outside… at least not beyond the immediate neighborhood, so I have no idea if yesterday’s snow flurries managed to clear any of the haze out of the air.

Over the past couple of days, SaraRules and I have attended three movies that are part of the Sundance Film Festival: I Saw the Devil, Sing Your Song and Knuckle. Trying to compare the movies would be like trying to compare apples to elephants, so I’ll just cover each one on its own merits:

• I Saw the Devil – This movie follows agent Kim Soo-hyeon as he pursues the man who killed his fiancee. His aim is not to bring him to justice, but to torture him… repeatedly. This was a straight-up revenge movie. Unlike other movies, it was more of a game of cat-and-mouse, with Kim Soon-hyeon tracking the movements of his prey, waiting until he was about to commit another murder and then ruthlessly and mercilessly attacking him. It was a good example of the Nietzsche adage: “When you stare into the abyss the abyss stares back at you.” The director, Ji-woon Kim, pulled no punches in showing the savagery and brutality of the murders or of Kim Soo-hyeon’s actions against the killers. And, at the movie’s end, it’s hard to say whether “good” truly triumphed over “evil.” All-in-all, it was a good movie… but I am not sure that I really need to see it again.
  
• Sing Your Song – This has been my favorite movie, so far. (We still have three more movies to see…) This was a documentary about Harry Belafonte and the journey his life has taken, from a poor boy born in Harlem to an international crusader for civil and human rights. His work as an activist was interestingly juxtaposed against both his career as an entertainer and as a husband and father. Belafonte spoke, rather candidly, about his life and work and detailed the things – good and bad – that have driven him. This film presented an interesting counterpoint to last year’s Freedom Riders, in the way that it showed one man’s struggle with the hatred around him, as opposed to the organization of a group of people to fight injustice.
  
• Knuckle – This movie, another documentary, related twelve years of feuds between Irish families in Ireland and England and the manner in which they (temporarily) settled them: Bare-knuckle fights. The movie mostly focused on two of the clans involved: The Quinn McDonaghs and the Joyces. The curious thing about it all: The families are related. The feuding had a very strong Hatfield vs. McCoy feel to it, with the origins leading back to the 1980s, when a member of one clan was killed (manslaughter) by a member from another clan. There was also a level of honor (upholding the family name) and an odd kind of one-upsmanship (“No [Family A] will ever beat a [Family B]…”) that was heaped onto the fights, fueling the animosity between clans. After a while, I found myself mostly feeling sad for the families, as there seemed to be no way to end the cycle.
  

Stray Toasters

• Yesterday’s HeroClix tourney went well. Even better, when I announced the format for the next event – a 1,000-point, one-round, “Generals” brawl – it went over as well as I had hoped.
• This was a cool and interesting mash-up, courtesy of :
• Sam Cooke at 80: The Career that Could Have Been
• 
• Designer Michael Kors sticks to reality

And with that, I’m off to have breakfast with SaraRules! and then on to play some ‘Clix with the guys.

Namaste.

Friday – 21 January 2011
Hello, Day Off!
I greet you with coffee and Irish cream!

Today is also ‘ birthday:

Last night, UPS finally delivered my copy of DC Universe Online.

Oddly, I didn’t immediately bound downstairs to install it. No, instead I waited until after dinner (I cooked burgers on the grill; SaraRules! fixed Tater Tots and green beans). It was one of the longest game installations I’ve dealt with… well, at least since playing games on my Commodore 64. Yeah, it was that long. But, it installed.

And then it patched.

And then I had to update the .NET Framework on my computer.

And then… it started.  Finally.

For the most part.

There still seem to be “a few” problems with the game. But, I have it. And that’s a start. I… recreated (sort of)… Nefer Tem. This version is a little different than his CoH counterpart. I’ll have to see how his power set progresses and how close/different he winds up.

After I got the game going, SaraRules! and I headed to the gym. Having come to the conclusion that I need more of it in my workout routine, I did… cardio. Well, a little. I spent 15 minutes on the elliptical, maintaining roughly a 5.5 MPH pace.

• Elliptical: 15 minutes, ~5.5 MPH
• Bench Press: 3 sets/8 reps, 185 lbs
• Shoulder Press (dumbbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 30 lbs
• Curls (dumbbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 30 lbs
• Sit-ups (incline): 3 sets/10 reps

Not too big a workout, but it was still a good one.  And I don’t know what I was thinking, but I completely forgot that my last bench press weight was 165 lbs, not 185. Nothing like jumping 20 lbs in weight… after nearly 2 weeks out of the gym! UGH!

:::INTERLUDE:::
Here’s a little something for your Friday morning:

Stray Toasters

• Investigators search for woman in connection with 1987 abduction
• 10 Most Popular Autocorrects from December 2010 (courtesy of )
• How Creed Saved a Norwegian Boy From a Pack of Wolves
  This story would have been 500% better if it had been Apollo Creed.
• F.D.A. Sees Promise in Alzheimer’s Imaging Drug
• 
• For itemizers, IRS has set tax-filing date of Feb. 14
• By way of my friend, Marie: What’s the Longest Word in the English Language?
• A Path Is Sought for States to Escape Their Debt Burdens
• Jump in de line…
  Rock your body in time!
• 12 Robotic Garages Worthy of a Bond Villain

Up. Out.

Namaste.

Thursday – 20 January 2011
I almost typed “Friday,” as today is NBN Technical Friday. Wishful thinking, I guess.

Last night’s D&D 4.0 game was cancelled. That meant that my Wednesday night had a gaping hole in the middle of it. So, after collecting this week’s four-color haul from Dr. Volt’s,  SaraRules! and I capitalized on the free evening and turned it into Date Night! We went to Pawit’s Royale Thai for dinner and then headed down to Jordan Commons to see True Grit. I’ve not seen the original, but this one was a very good movie. I have heard a number of people talk about how good the main actors’ performances were, especially Hailee Steinfeld‘s… and am happy to report that they were correct.

Stray Toasters

• Higher Taxes Wouldn’t End Some Deficits
• Malware Warning: New Kookface campaign hits Facebook
  • Koobface exploit for Macs circulating in the wild
• This was a horrible movie, but I like the music video…
• Hello Kitty’s Borg-like Assimilation of the World Continues in Awesome Mashups
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Undercover policeman married activist he was sent to spy on
• American Express to cut 550 jobs as service needs shrink
• 
• Wonder Woman Teams Up with MAC for Super Makeup
• From the “No, I never would have thought that something like this was needed” file: Has this ever happened to you?
• A Racy Show with Teenagers Steps Back From a Boundary
  I find it interesting that they waited until Paragraph 12 to note that MTV’s Skins is an Americanized version of a British show of the same name, or as the article states: “…a country that has historically displayed a higher tolerance for TV eroticism than the United States.”
• Batman vs. Bruce Wayne
• Tricks of hotel marketing photos

Namaste.

Wednesday – 19 January 2011
Midweek is upon us once more.
And it comes to us with a mixture of sun and snow. At the same time.
But, it’s also Comics Wednesday. And also possibly even “Caramel Apple Wednesday,” in lieu of Sushi Wednesday.

Last night was D&D 3.5 game night with and company. I’m not sure what the deal was, but most of the game’s disruptions came from the lot of us behaving like high schoolers. (Let’s just chalk it up to “puerile behavior” and move on.) Last night’s challenge came from our group trying to parley with a group of frost giants for possession of a crown… and not get squished. Things went well: No one died, we have favorable status with the tribe of giants and we may even have new trade partners. Not bad for a night’s work.

Stray Toasters

• I may have come up with a new (or, rather, “yet another”) rail yard layout idea. And, unfortunately, I really like this one. Instead of having a stub-ended yard – which my current layout is – it would be a double-ended yard, allowing a train to enter/exit from either end. There are a few drawbacks to this idea, though:
  1. I would need to purchase six (6) new switches, minimum, to make it work.
  2. I would need to expand that side of my layout by at least 4′ in length and 1′ in depth.
  3. I wouldn’t want to set it up until the basement is finished, which would tentatively be sometime in March or April.
• Rock Stars for a Night, and for a Price
• Who is fixing your plane, and how?
• Former Haitian Dictator to Face Charges
• This is kind of what it’s like when I go to The Train Shoppe or The Wonderful World of Trains…
  

  

• Thom Zahler Returns with “Love and Capes”
• From the “Longinus!” file: Caligula tomb found? No. Caligula movie reappraisal time? No.
• This Year, Sundance Will Savor Its Homegrown Projects
  Speaking of Sundance, our first film of this year’s festival, I Saw the Devil, is Friday night!

Namaste.

Sunday – 16 January 2011
So far, it’s been a quiet and grey morning in the valley.

I slept in a bit and then headed over to Rich’s Bagels. Sunday breakfast with SaraRules!, bagels and Ray Charles in the background… can’t really go wrong there. Later today, I’m heading over to and Jack’s for D&D; we’re playing catch-up, so that our game is back on-schedule. Then, there will be dinner with the in-laws. After that, possibly a movie or a couple episodes of Mad Men.

Yesterday was a busy day. It started with breakfast with SaraRules! and Rachel at Millcreek Cafe and Eggworks. Next, SaraRules!, Jana, and I went to brunch (Market Street Broiler) and the matinee performance of Spring Awakening. I didn’t know what to expect going in, but I quite enjoyed it. It was an interesting play; it was set in the late 1800s, but the music was mostly modern rock. I found that the dichotomy worked well, with the music providing an interesting undertone for the angst and rebellious thoughts/natures of the youths.

After Spring Awakening, we came back home and I watched my recording of the Ravens-Steelers game. (More on that in a moment.) Then, it was time to get ready for Utah Opera’s Hansel and Gretel.

The performance also featured Angela and Kate (two of the Utah Opera’s Resident Artists), as “The Dew Fairy” and “The Sandman,” respectively. It was a… “fun”… opera, and more light-hearted than many/most operas that I’ve seen. There were a couple of special effects that added to the enjoyment of the performance, most notably the “dancing broom.”

Instant Replay: Football
There were some good games over the weekend… even though I missed both of Saturday’s games.

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers
24 – 31
The Ravens, coming off last week’s big win over the Chiefs, flew into Heinz Field to take on the Steelers for the third time this season. The first half of the game was fantastic. The Ravens worked rather well on both sides of the ball, while the Steelers had… “some issues.” The Ravens went into halftime with a 21-7 lead. I don’t know exactly “what” happened in the second half. Complacency? Overconfidence? Whatever it was, the teams seemed to switch playbooks — the Steelers came on like gangbusters, while the Ravens looked more like the Keystone Kops. It was both sad and disappointing. And with that, the Ravens’ season comes to a 13-5 end. While I’m sad that they didn’t hold on for the win, I am glad that they had such a good season – it speaks well to the commitment of the staff, management and players. Lewis: “We’ll be back.”

Stray Toasters

• Tomorrow, I’m going to be working at Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore for my  Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service project.



• , have you seen this: Here’s Your Chance to Own the Real Batmobile
• As the son of teachers (and having a few friends who are teachers, as well), I think that everyone should check out Classroom Superheroes.
• The Monkeys You Ordered
• I am a little more than halfway done with The Professional. Hopefully, the ending will be more satisfying than Rough Weather.
• Museum of Sex exhibition about sex and comic books
• In in today’s “Weather vs. Technology” lesson, Flooding in Australia:

• My new desktop is up and running. Now, all I need is for DCUO to show up…

Time to get ready for gaming.

Namaste.

Saturday – 15 January 2011
The sun is having a go at the clouds… and seems to be winning.

SaraRules! and I just got back from breakfast with Rachel (one of the MFAs from SaraRules!’ class). We went to Millcreek Cafe and Eggworks. Both the food and the company were very good.

That was also the start of a busy day: Next up, we’re having lunch with Jana and and the lot of us are going to see Spring Awakening at Kingsbury Hall. Then, it will be back home for a bit to get ready for the opening of Utah Opera’s  Hansel and Gretel. Yeah, it’s going to be a busy and arts-filled day.

The only down side is that the AFC Division Game between the Ravens and the Steelers. Fortunately, I have a DVR and it will watch the game for me… in a manner of speaking. So, God willin’ and the creek don’t rise, I’ll get to see the game tonight or first thing tomorrow morning. (NOTE: I’m going to be pretty much ignoring calls and messages this afternoon — partly because of the musical and the opera, partly because I don’t want the game spoiled for me.)

And with that… let the games begin!

Namaste.

Friday – 14 January 2011
Winter: Hazy Shade.
Leaves: Brown.
Sky: Grey.
Dreaming: California (…or just about any place that has temps above 40F).

It’s my 9/80 “on” Friday… which means that it’s pretty quiet in the office. And I’m quite alright with that. I had a meeting this morning, which wasn’t at all painful. I consider that a definite “plus.”

Last night, SaraRules! had a Justice League Junior League meeting, so I fended for myself for dinner (Greek City Grill) and hung out online with and a few of his friends, playing CoD: Black Ops. (MENTAL NOTE: The controls for Black Ops are not the same as the controls for HALO.) I got killed… many times. But, I also had lot of fun playing.

Stray Toasters

• I am going to miss the broadcast of tomorrow’s Ravens-Steelers game.  *shakes fist* Thank Heaven for DVRs.
• No, your zodiac sign hasn’t changed
  • 
• Opening of Spider-Man musical delayed once again
• WizKids has released pictures of and the dial for the new Magneto ‘Clix figure. And… it’s going on The Covet List.
• See Something? Cite Something.
• 
• Best Buy apparently had a rectal craniotomy — I got an email yesterday, stating that my “backordered” DCUO had shipped.  *sigh* Monkeys.
• In a related note, the new memory and case/PSU that I ordered have apparently been delivered.
• Carrie Fisher is new Jenny Craig spokesperson
  • Wishful Shrinking #1 – from Carrie Fisher’s blog (which I find clever and entertaining)
• The remix version of this song makes me want to listen to this song, which led me to this:
• What did you do, Ray…?!
• I enjoy gaming (duh) and have heard of people doing some “out there” things to get their game on, but this takes it to a whole new level. Idiotstick.
• Minnesota Death Star
• Alternate Movie Posters
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Safety Certificate

And with that…

Namaste.

Wednesday – 12 January 2011
It’s midweek, which means that it’s Comics Wednesday.
As for returning the “sushi” to Wednesdays, well that’s something that we’ll have to see how it develops… but last night, the missus and I had dinner at Tsunami, so the sushi craving has been abated for the time being.

SaraRules! and I, along with Melissa and her friend, Kate, went to see The King’s Speech after dinner.

We had heard a number of glowing reviews from friends who had seen it, so it seemed like a fairly safe bet. At least in my case, friends’ comments didn’t do it justice. It was a fantastic film. Colin Firth did an excellent job as Albert, Duke of York (and later, King George VI). Geoffrey Rush was equally good in his role as Lionel Logue.  And, this was the first movie in some time in which I’ve seen Helena Bonham Carter act and didn’t just want to shake my head and go, “Really…?!  This again?!” She was… charming… in her role as Queen Elizabeth. This was a wonderful bit of cinema, proving that you don’t need to spend exorbitant amounts of money on special effects in order to tell a compelling story.

Stray Toasters

• I pre-ordered DC Universe Online: Collector’s Edition two months ago, because I wanted perks that came with it.
  The game went live yesterday.
  I received an email from Best Buy – at 11:09 PM last night – saying that it was “backordered.”
  I am not happy.
• 
• A Pink Lambo? Well, It’s Personal
• Face-Lift for Met’s Costume Institute
• The Onion‘s take on an extended football season:

  Onion SportsDome

• Credit scores get easier to track down and less secretive
• Battle Is Set as Verizon Adds iPhone
• 
  (And for those who don’t get the ‘Poser’ double entendre, click here.)
• This American Life: The Invention of Money
• Ten Awesome Things Most People Don’t Know About PHP
• James Bond Returns! And Not a Moment Too Soon!

Quote of the Day
Today’s quote comes from Derek Hunter, a local writer and illustrator:

Nitpick about your looks all you like, but let’s face it ladies, you’re all pretty gorgeous.

Know what?  He’s right.

Namaste.

Monday – 10 January 2011
A new work week begins. This one actually has some blue sky and sun associated with it. Of course, there is still a good bit of haze about the valley, but I’ll take what I can get.

Yesterday, and came over to watch the Ravens-Chiefs game. Nox brought Josh and Sabriel with him; both of the kids did a good job of entertaining themselves while we yelled at the television watched the game. After the Ravens-Chiefs game, we flipped over to the Packers-Eagles game, which was also a good contest.

After football was over, SaraRules! fixed dinner: Homemade beef barley soup, squash and dinner rolls. ‘Twas very good. After dinner, we played Trivial Pursuit and then I somehow convinced her to watch Smokey and the Bandit. It might not be the world’s best movie, but it’s one of my favorites — if I believed in “guilty pleasures,” it would be one of mine. (If memory serves me correctly, I believe that my father took me to see it in the theatre… three times.) I learned a couple of interesting things about the movie, thanks to IMDb:

• The second highest grossing movie released in 1977 next to Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
• Was a Guilty Pleasure of Alfred Hitchcock according to his daughter Patricia Hitchcock

After the movie, I finished up Rough Weather and called it a night.

Instant Replay: Football
There were some good games over the weekend… even though I missed both of Saturday’s games.

Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs
30 – 7
The Ravens and Chiefs met at Arrowhead Stadium for the AFC Wild Card Playoff Game. The Ravens came to play some serious ball, too. After leading 10-7 at halftime, the Ravens went on to score another 20 unanswered points and seal the deal. Next stop: Heinz Field on Saturday, for a meeting with AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers.

Joe…?  Derrick…? You guys just scalped the Chiefs and are going to the Division game against the Steelers!  How do you feel about that?

Yeah, I’d be passing around the high-fives, too!  Congratulations!

Green Bay Packers at Philadelphia Eagles
21 – 16
The Packers and Eagles faced off in Philly… …and the Pack came away with the win There was a lot of post-game talk about the two missed field goals by Eagles’ P David Akers… six points which would have secured a Philadelphia win. Should’a. Could’a. Would’a. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers move on to face the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.

.

New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts
17 – 16
Last week, I was worried about the Ravens having to face the Indianapolis Professional Football Club in the playoffs. More specifically, I was worried about the teams having to meet yesterday. Fortunately, Indy lost last week’s game and the Ravens wound up taking on the Chiefs. Saturday, Mark Sanchez and the Jets eliminated Indy – and the last Manning standing – from the playoffs. I only wish that I had seen that game.

.

New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks
36 – 41
Are the Seahawks this year’s Cinderella team? They upset last year’s Cinderella and have their sights on da Bears in next weekend’s matchup.

Stray Toasters

• SaraRules! tested out a very good blueberry pancake recipe for breakfast yesterday.
  I have third-party independent verification of this, as young Ms. Sabriel packed away two of them, herself.
• It wasn’t a workout, per se, but I walked up five of the six flights of stairs to get into the office this morning. I’m thinking that I might challenge myself to do it at least once a day during the work week.
• Federal Charges in Giffords Shooting Cite Assassination Plan
• TV ‘Wonder Woman’ Not Going at This Time
• Taking a trip into history with the Freedom Riders
  • The Freedom Riders movie referenced on the second page of the article is the one that SaraRules! and I saw last year at the Sundance Film Festival.  If you have a chance to see it, I highly recommend it.
• 
• Library of Congress Gets a Mile of Music
• Theme park giant’s ups, downs lead to investor showdown
• Muslim and Christian, Egyptians stand together against violence

I don’t know when it happened, but most of the haze has burned off and you can now see across the valley.

Namaste.

Friday – 07 January 2011
It’s Friday and my 9/80 “off” day. Despite that, I’ve been somewhat productive this morning. I’ve already take my car to the shop (tune-up and tires), started laundry, prepped the carpets for vacuuming.  And it’s barely 10:30. (Well, it was when I typed that…) I consider that “productive.”

Last night, SaraRules! and I hit the gym, for my first workout of the year. She started a new routine, so I figured that I’d give it a go.  It wasn’t too bad… except for the lunges:

• Bench Press: 3 sets/8 reps, 165 lbs
• Front Squat/Push (shoulder) Press: 2 sets/10 reps, 40 lbs
• Step-ups: 2 sets/10 reps, 25 lb dumbbells
• Bent-over Row: 2 sets/10 reps, 25 lbs
• Lunge (static, one foot elevated): 2 sets/10 reps
  • Set 1: 25 lb dumbbells
  • Set 2: 15 lb dumbbells
• Push-ups: 2 sets/10 reps
• Plank: 2 sets/45 seconds
• Cable Horizontal Wood Chop: 2 sets/10 reps, 30 lbs

All-in-all, not a bad workout. There were a couple of exercises that were awkward, but nothing insurmountable.

Chew on This: Food for Thought
I read this yesterday, and shared it with Nyx, but neglected to add it to yesterday’s post: The Agonizing Last Words of Bill Zeller

Stray Toasters

• It’s a lovely shade of grey, inversion-induced “blech” outside this morning.
• Government recommends lowering flouride levels in U.S. drinking water
• From Indexed: A Little Something for the Pagans
• Harry Potter plagiarism case dismissed
• 
• Wizkids! Games’ site is jacked up, at the moment. Feh.
• Saudi Arabia ‘detains’ Israeli vulture for spying
• Congratulations to Greg and Liz Dean (of Real Life Comics)! Why?  Click here.
• This Is the Perfect House if You Are a Cat
• 
• US unemployment rate drops in December
• There’s been Sex Bomb and Sex Bob-omb, but neither was as insidious as this.

And with that, on to the rest of the day…

Namaste.

Friday – 31 December 2010
Snow falls on the ground.
The broom sweeps away the snow.
The driveway is clear.

BOOM!  Just like that: Two days of haiku!

It snowed again last night, with very light snow falling this morning. This time, it was the light, powdery snow for which Utah is know. Thus, I was able to literally sweep away the snow. Today’s snow removal music was 2112; I finished in the time it took to listen to “2112” (the A-side) and “A Passage to Bangkok,” so… 24:08.  Not too shabby.

Last night, SaraRules! and I went down to Abravanel Hall to hear – and see – The Blue Planet Live! We went with Logan and Sanaz, and wound up running into and Jeff, as well as Mickey and Sammie . The performance was narrated by Utah Senator Orrin Hatch. It was a good production. It was made more amusing by the woman sitting behind us who was amazed/fascinated by practically everything on-screen. (Seriously… you’d think that she didn’t use her television for anything but watching The Young and the Restless and maybe Martha Stewart Living.)

I was originally planning on heading up to The Wonderful World of Trains with today, but his schedule won’t allow it. I may still head up on my own, as I’m itching to get a look at the new location of The Bookshelf… and it’s three blocks from WWoT.

Chew on This: Food for Thought
Today is the last day of 2010. It’s been a year of ups and downs, but mostly “ups”:

• SaraRules! and I bought a house (…and discovered a great little neighborhood espresso shop)!
• My mother retired.
• I lost another good friend.
• I got back into model railroading after a nearly 30-year absence.
• I celebrated my first anniversary.
• I turned 40… and, thanks to the coolest wife ever, got to race cars for my four-hour mid-life crisis!
• My third niece was born.
• We got to host Thanksgiving in our new home.
• We had my family come out and celebrate Christmas with us.

…and, as I said last year: “…these are all part of ‘life.'”

On the whole, 2010 was a good year. I am thankful for the many new people I met and I am grateful for the many wonderful things that I got to experience. If you were part of my year – no matter how big or small a part – thank you for the pleasure of your company and for being a part of my journey.

I wish you a very happy and prosperous 2011 and beyond.

Stray Toasters

• I think that I like sweeping snow far better than shoveling it.
• The Sartorialist
• 
• John Ridley’s Top 7 ‘Nontroversies’ of 2010
• GeekDad, meet GeekMom
• Nyx is dealing with ever-increasing levels of monkeydom. I think that she should keep a dead-blow hammer handy, for just such occasions.
• 
• DC Women Kicking Ass – The most memorable moments in DC history for women: Nominee #21
• I believe that I’ve solved the “problem” of streets in my model railroad: SuperStreets
• Demolition of the Paris Metro
  • Berlin – The Metro
    
• The Style Guy’s 15 Rules to a Sharper, Smarter Life
• How to Take Better Pictures with Your Smartphone’s Camera

And with that…

Be well and be good to yourself and to others.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 29 December 2010
It’s midweek… which means that it’s Comics Day! It is also rather windy here. According to The Weather Channel’s website, it’s 37F outside.  I haven’t seen any snow yet, but that’s not to say that it isn’t in the area.

I went to The Apple Store yesterday to have my BlacBook’s battery checked out – it was developing a couple of ugly bulges. I learned that my AppleCare warranty had expired 50 days ago. (Well, “51,” now…) Brad, the Apple Genius with whom I spoke, said that since I’d had no warranty claims with my MacBook, he’d just go ahead and replace the battery… at no charge!  WIN!

I left the store and dropped in to say a quick “Hi” to SaraRules! (Her office is close to The Gateway.) When I left there, I wasn’t ready to head home and wanted to check out a hobby shop or two. So, I headed north. I wound up in Layton and Clearfield. I checked out the Hobby Lobby in Layton; I was even more disappointed with their model railroad selection that I am with the store in Sandy. (And that’s saying something.) From there, I headed to Almosta Junction. That was (kind of) a mistake. They had A LOT of things that are going on The Covet List; foremost among them was:

These things are getting hard to find. They also had a selection of rolling stock, other accessories and a couple of books that I wouldn’t be ashamed to add to my collection.  Nevertheless, I walked out of the store empty-handed. *sigh* I considered heading up to Ogden and checking out The Wonderful World of Trains, but I think I’ll wait until Friday… assuming the weather holds up and that is interested in and available to go.

Once I got back home, I cooked dinner.  Last night’s fare was baked chicken, with seasoned collard greens and rice. SaraRules! and I watched the Vikings-Eagles game. I was expecting a “good” game, but got more than I had anticipated. Minnesota QB Joe Webb had a pretty outstanding performance… especially when you consider that he was drafted as a wide receiver! On the flip side, Philadelphia QB Michael Vick had a decent game, but his offensive line leaked like a sieve. He got sacked six times and was almost always under pressure.

After the game, SaraRules! and I went to the gym:

• Bench Press: 3 sets/8 reps, 165 lbs
• Squats: 2 sets/10 reps, 80 lbs (I think…)
• Flys: 3 sets/10 reps, 100 lbs
• Seated Row: 2 sets/12 reps, 100 lbs
• Push-ups: 2 sets/10 reps
• Step-ups: 2 sets/8 reps per leg, 25 lb dumbbells
• Jackknifes: 2 sets/15 reps

And, later in the evening (which really translates to: “Far too late at night/early in the morning”), I made good on my threat to tear out my railroad’s rail yard:

• Old and busted:

• New hotness:

Yeah… I’m pretty happy with it.  For now. I still want to add two more left-hand switches near the top of the yard: One for another spur, the other to complete a pass-through to the main line.

All told, I’d say that it was a pretty good day.

Now I need to figure out what I want to do with the rest of today…

Namaste.

Tuesday – 28 December 2010
It’s quiet around here again.  Things are returning to what passes for “normal” around here.

I just talked with my mother and uncle — they both made it home, although MUCH later than either of them had anticipated. Thanks to a three-hour delay getting out of SLC, my parents didn’t get home until almost 0100 AM EST. My uncle didn’t fare any better, as he made it into and out of Chicago with no problem… but couldn’t land in White Plains. At least, not the first time. His flight was re-routed to Hartford for refueling and then went back to White Plains. He got home after 0200 AM. But… everyone made it home safely.

Last night, I had dinner with my in-laws, before they took Meliko to the airport. We went for Mexican food at El Chihuahua. I had the beef enchiladas; they were good. After dinner, I met at MacCool’s for the last Monday Night Football broadcast of the season: The Saints at the Falcons. It was a very good game and pretty much came down to the last few minutes. Add to that a couple of Black and Pumpkin beers and an order of Finn’s Skins and it made for a good evening in good company.

Stray Toasters

• I’m thinking (seriously) about tearing out my rail yard and reconfiguring it. Again.
• 1980s cartoon intros in other languages
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” and the “People Are People” files: Harry Potter actress in hiding after death threats
• Coded American Civil War Message in Bottle Decoded
• 
• Big Bird Behind the Beak – A Look Behind the Feathers
• Infographic: Bad Science in Movies Chart
• Despite the fact that I left my old web hosting company nearly three months ago, I still get email from them.  (No, I’m not still getting billed by them.)

I should probably start getting ready to face the day.

Namaste.

Monday – 27 December 2010
It’s quiet around here. VERY quiet. It’s amazing how “quiet” it is, in fact. I guess that’s just one of the things you notice when you go from having five people in the house to being alone at home.

I had a fantastic Christmas. It was made even better by the fact that I was able to have (most of) my family here — we’re looking at ways to get Kris out here later in the season or this Spring/Summer.  We started some new traditions this year (Christmas Eve spaghetti dinner and Christmas morning mimosas) and incorporated some of our favorites as well. The man in the red suit did me a good turn this year; he brought me:

• A couple of really nice sweaters
• A pair of boots (…which I need to send back because they were both for the right foot)
• An overcoat and scarf
• A new pair of lounge pants… with the Ravens’ logo on ’em!
• A couple of passenger platforms for my railroad
• A LEGO Creator set
• Buckyballs
• A “gift certificate” to Dr. Volt’s or The Train Shoppe (Woo!)
• A Sawz-All
• A new train set

SaraRules! and I got a couple of very nice gifts as a couple, too.  So, I can honestly say that I had a very good Christmas this year.

Saturday, before heading to SaraRules!’ parents’ place for dinner, I took the family up to Brighton — I figured that since they had come all this way to visit, the least that I could do was take them for a drive up one of the canyons and let them see the mountains. I think that they were taken aback a bit at how truly “big” the mountains are here. They were also a bit surprised when I told them the elevation.

After the drive, we met up with SaraRules’ side of the family for dinner. We had a magnificent feast with all kinds of foods: brisket, ham, borscht, mixed vegetables, roasted root vegetables, breads, potatoes and more! All of it was wonderfully prepared.

Sunday, we got up and took my folks to Music and the Spoken Word. My mother has mentioned many times that she wanted to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, but hadn’t been able to get out her to do so. But, with retirement comes time… and, fortunately, we were able to make it in to see this week’s recording.

After the broadcast, we went up to Park City for brunch at Cisero’s. It started to snow shortly after we arrived, but was coming down a little more heavily as we left Park City and headed down Parley’s Canyon. After we got in, we settled in for a relatively quiet afternoon at home. Later in the afternoon, we took my uncle down to the Cathedral of the Madeleine and picked up dinner.

This morning, SaraRules got up for work and I got up to take my family to the airport. It was really nice to have them here for the long weekend; I’m glad that they were able to come out.  (Now, I just have to get Kris out here…) We got everyone to their respective flights on time, although I got a call from my mother a little while ago saying that her plane was grounded because of a “mechanical problem.” I’m waiting to see if/when they get boarded on another plane and how that will affect their connection home.  My uncle, on the other hand, might not get out of Chicago – or at least not to his home airport – thanks to the snowstorm that hit the northeast over the weekend. We’ll see how everything shakes out.

Stray Toasters

• How was your Christmas?
• The Ravens beat the Browns and secured a spot in the playoffs!
• Five Best Resources for Free Games
• Teena Marie dies at 54; R&B singer-songwriter
  • Lovergirl
    
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Man Faces Five Years in Jail — for Reading Wife’s Emails
• I need to replace the battery on my MacBook. This one has developed a “bulge.”  You know, the “This battery has reached the end of its useful life cycle…” kind.
• Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival

It seems as though my parents made it out of here… nearly three hours late.  But, they’re in the air.

Now, it’s time to find some trouble to get into.

Namaste.